Hey, friends! We’re down to the wire! The Kickstarter campaign for my cookbook memoir COOKING WILL BREAK YOUR HEART is entering its last few days, so if you’re intrigued, please do check out the campaign and back it before it’s too late! And to whet your appetite, here are a few pictures of some of the stuff I’ve been cooking recently — the recipes for which will indeed be included in the book!

Some happy, healthy poached eggs on toast! In my mom’s last couple of months, she requested poached eggs and gave me some tips of how to make them — like wetting the bowl you crack the egg into so it slides out more smoothly into the pan. Probably the last thing she taught me how to cook. She liked hers a little runnier than these. But it feels good every time I make them.

Good ol’ chili on rice! I use turkey meat instead of beef or pork. Tastes great and it’s a few ticks healthier. For years, I’ve been making this with a basic combo of soy sauce, paprika, Korean coarse chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, onions, and garlic for seasoning. But I’ve been wanting a bit deeper flavor, so this time I added mirin, which was nice! I know a lot of folks add a little brown sugar. I’ll have to give that a shot.

Aggressively healthy baked chicken thighs with asparagus and rice! I’ve had a tendency for years to mostly cook on the stove top — sautés, soups, and stews have been my forte. But a while back I had to cook someone a super plain, un-fried piece of chicken, which I did in the oven. And then I thought, hey, that was pretty easy. Let’s try that again, with a little more pizzaz! These thighs are seasoned with a variety of spices, including Korean coarse chili powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander. All delicious.

And here are the process shots of the thumbprint jelly cookies that I shared with you earlier. A specialty of my mom and maternal grandmother. These taste like the holidays to me.

If any or all this intrigues you, please do visit the campaign and back today!

Thanks so much as always and see ya in the kitchen!